Short-term rentals in Italy are on the rise: +41.6% annually and account for 31.4% of the total market

Venice leads in short-term rental market share (60%), followed by Urbino (51%) and Trieste (51%)

The Italian residential rental sector is undergoing significant changes. According to idealista's latest analysis, the overall rental property supply increased by 15.8% in the second quarter of 2026 compared to the same period last year.

Among these changes, short-term/temporary rentals have been the primary growth driver, with a 41.6% increase year-on-year and a 26.9% rise from the previous quarter. These properties now represent 31.4% of the total rental market (up from 25.7% in the second quarter of 2025).

Simultaneously, the long-term rental sector has also shown positive trends, growing by 10.5% annually and 8.2% from the previous quarter.

Venice Leads the Way: 30 Regional Centers Surpass the National Average

Venice has the highest proportion of temporary rentals in the overall supply (60%), followed by Urbino (51.1%) and Trieste (50.5%).

Other cities exceeding the 40% mark include:

• Florence (48.2%)
• Catanzaro (47.3%)
• Crotone (45.3%)
• Genoa (45.0%)
• Brindisi (41.5%)
• Foggia (40.9%)
• Bari (40.7%)
• Naples (40.2%)

In total, 30 out of the 110 surveyed administrative centers surpassed the national average of 31.4%. Notable cities include Milan (37.1%), Rome (38.7%), and Turin (34.3%).

Conversely, temporary rentals remain less significant in cities like Cremona (5.2%), Rovigo (6.0%), Lodi (7.0%), Varese (7.1%), and Bolzano (3.2%), where traditional long-term rentals dominate.

Significant Increase in Key Market Offerings

Among Italy's major cities, Turin saw the most substantial annual growth in temporary rental supply (+102.1%). Following closely were:

• Rome (+79.0%)
• Florence (+71.3%)
• Milan (+46.2%)

Naples (+39.7%) and Bologna (+37.9%) experienced steady growth, while Venice (+24.3%) and Genoa (+19.2%) showed more moderate increases.

In medium-sized cities, Trieste (+245.3%), Cagliari (+113%), and Udine (+111.5%) stood out with supply doubling or more. Crotone (+123.1%), Ravenna (+107.5%), and Ascoli Piceno (+90.9%) also saw substantial growth. Smaller markets with minimal initial offerings experienced the most significant percentage spikes. For instance, Benative and Lodi (both +200%) had extreme increases due to a few new listings. Conversely, some cities saw notable declines: Vercelli (-70%), Imperia (-50%), Bolzano (-50%), and Carbonia (-66.7%).

Steady Growth in Long-Term Rentals

Long-term rental housing supply increased by 10.5% annually and 8.2% quarterly. Positive quarterly trends were observed in 63 of the 110 analyzed cities.

Key markets showed promising growth in the quarter, with Milan (+16.4%), Turin (+13.1%), Rome (+11.9%), and Naples (+11.0%) leading the way. Florence (+9.9%), Bologna (+8.7%), and Genoa (+4%) also experienced growth, while Venice remained stable (0%).

Cities with notable long-term stock growth include Udine (+48.5%), Urbino (+58.3%), Rimini (+50.6%), and Aosta (+41.7%). Declines were observed in some southern and coastal cities, such as Carbonia (-33.3%), Sondrio (-24.3%), Rieti (-22.5%), and La Spezia (-22.5%).

Understanding Temporary Leases (Contratto Transitorio)

A temporary lease, governed by Italian law (Law no. 431/1998), is an agreement to rent a residential property for a limited period for non-tourism-related temporary needs.

This type of lease is popular among university students and professionals temporarily residing elsewhere for work or studies. The agreement typically lasts from 1 to 18 months, with mandatory state registration only required for rentals exceeding 30 days.